Container closure



July 16, 1968 H. K. BROSS 3,392,8 7

CONTAINER CLOSURE I Filed Sept. 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l will/III IIIIlFIG. 4

Ill IIII'IIIIIIII INVENTOR Helmui KcWL 3r0$5 Qpwwc i 41% nmomegs July16, 1968 H. K. BROSS CONTAINER CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13,1966 FIG.8

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INVENTOR Hdmuk Karl. 3YO

United States Patent I O 3,392,887 CONTAINER CLOSURE Helmut Karl Bross,Biberttalstr. 24, Altenberg, near Nuremberg, Germany Filed Sept. 13,1966, Ser. No. 579,124 6 Claims. 01. 222-s2s ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present invention relates to a closure device for a container suchas a bottle, tube, can, or the like, which may be either secured to orintegral with the container and comprises an outlet nozzle which may bemoved to one position to open its channel and to another position toclose the channel.

There are container closures of this type known in which the closuredevice which forms, for example, the top of a tube, consists of aflexible material and is provided with outwardly and inwardly extendingcorrugations which increase the flexibility of the closure device andpermit the outlet nozzle to be pivoted back and forth. For closing thecontainer, the outlet nozzle is bent from a substantially verticalposition to a substantially horizontal position in which a resilienttongue which is secured to the edge of the container engages the outletopening of the nozzle and closes the same. This device does not,however, form a safe and reliable closure and its manipulation is ratherdifficult. Attempts have also been made to improve this closure byproviding the outlet nozzle with inwardly projecting beads or lips whichare applied upon each other when the nozzle is bent and thereby closethe latter. This closure device is, however, likewise not reliable andin addition it is rather complicated and therefore expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container closureof the general type as described above which may be operated in anextremely simple manner, reliably closes the container to which it issecured, and is of a very simple construction and therefore especiallyadapted for being mass-produced at a low cost.

According to the invention, this object is attained by making the outletnozzle and the container top or container cap substantially rigid and byconnec ing these parts to each other by means of an intermediate channelpart which may be bent or twisted and terminates at one end into anopening of the container top or cap and at its other end into an openingof the outlet nozzle. This channel part then serves either as a bendingor twisting joint which forms a flexible connection between the rigidoutlet nozzle and the likewise rigid container top or cap. Whenaccording to one embodiment of the invention the outlet nozzle ispivoted from its vertical opening position to its horizontal closingposition or when according to another embodiment of the invention theoutlet nozzle is twisted about its axis, the smooth inner walls of theintermediate section are pressed firmly against each other. Since thechannel within the channel part is in addition made of an elongated oroval cross section which tapers to a point at both sides, this channelwhen bent or twisted will be securely closed without danger that anypart of the elastic material of which the entire device is made will besubjected to any excessive strain. This cross-sectional shape of thechannel in the channel part permits the closure device to be made of arelatively stifi' plastic material as conventionally employed forcontainer caps.

The different parts of the closure device including the outlet nozzleand the channel part are preferably made integrally with each other of asingle piece of plastic, preferably polyethylene and especiallyhigh-pressure polyethylene.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become moreclearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof whichis to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a pivotable nozzle closure according tothe invention in the closed position;

FIGURE 2 shows a cross section which is taken along the line 11-11 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows a cross section of the closure device according to FIGURE2, but in the open position;

FIGURE 4 shows a cross section of the channel part which is taken alongthe line VIVI of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 shows a cross section of the channel part according to amodified design;

FIGURES 6 and 7 show cross sections similar to FIG- URE 2 of twomodifications of the pivotable nozzle closure in the closed position;

FIGURES 8 and 9 show, partly in cross section, two further modificationsof the nozzle closure according to the invention in the open position;

FIGURE 10 shows a side view of a twistable nozzle closure according tothe invention in the open position; while FIGURE 11 shows a side view ofthe twistable nozzle closure as seen from one side of FIGURE 10.

The pivotable nozzle closure according to the invention, as illustratedin FIGURES 1 to 7, essentially consists of a rigid part 1 which mayeither form a screw cap or plug cap or be an integral part of thecontainer, of a rigid tubular nozzle 2, and an intermediate elasticallydeformable channel part 3 which connects the two rigid parts 1 and 2 toeach other. The caplike part or cont ainer top 1 and the nozzle 2 haverelatively thick walls and are therefore substantially rigid, whereasthe walls of the channel part 3 have a lower thickness and a flattenedelongated cross section and may therefore be elastically bent in onedirection. This channel part 3 extends from an opening 4 in the caplikepart 1 to an opening 5 in the bottom of the nozzle part 2.

As illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, the channel in the channel part 3 hasan oval or elongated cross section and is tapered at both sides to apoint 6. The narrow outer edge portions 7 of the channel part 3 may, ifdesired, be laterally extended so as to increase the width of this partand thus to insure that the nozzle part 2 may be pivoted back and forthrelative to the caplike part 1 only in one direction about asubstantially horizontal axis.

When the closure device according to FIGURES 1 and 2 is in the openposition, as shown in FIGURE 3, the lateral walls 8 and 9 of the channelpart 3 extend substantially parallel to each other and are then spacedfrom each other to form the open outlet channel, while in the closedposition as shown in FIGURE 2 the lateral walls 8 and 9 are pressedagainst each other and thus tightly close the outlet channel.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modification of the closure device according toFIGURES 1 to 3 in which the lower section 8' of the side Wall of thechannel part 3 which faces in the direction toward which the nozzle part2 may be bent, that is, the wall section underneath that section whichforms the actual joint about which the nozzle part 2 may be pivotedrelative to the caplike part 1, is. made of a greater thickness andtherefore more rigid than the upper section of this wall and theopposite wall 9, the ends of which are connected to the bottom of thenozzle part 2. The thicker wall section 8' thus forms a substantiallyrigid abutment over which the thinner section 10 and the other wall 9together with the nozzle part 2 may be pivoted, whereby the smooth innerwalls of this section 10 and of the corresponding section of the otherwall 9 will be firmly pressed against each other so that the outletchannel will be tightly closed.

Instead of making the side wall 8' of a greater thickness than theopposite wall 9, it is also possible, as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, toprovide the upper wall of the Caplike part 1 at the side thereof towardwhich the nozzle part 2 is to be bent with a separate upwardlyprojecting web 11 which is rounded at its upper end over which the sidewalls of the channel part 3 may be bent so as to close the channel andthus the container to which this closure device is secured.

In order to maintain the nozzle part 2 in the opening and closingpositions, two clamping jaws 13 and 14 are provided on the caplike part1 at both sides of the channel part 3 and the nozzle part 2. Each ofthese jaws is provided with a vertical groove 15 and a horizontal groove16 of an arcuate shape into which the nozzle part 2 engages so as to beresiliently gripped when it is pivoted either to its vertical openingposition or to its closing postion in one or the opposite direction fromthis opening position. If the closure device is to be designed in asimilar manner as shown in FIGURES 6 to 8 and the channel in the part 3is to be tightly closed when the nozzle part 2 is pivoted to asubstantially horizontal position either toward the right or left fromits vertical opening position, the lower parts of both side walls of thechannel part 3 may be made of a greater thickness than the upper partsso as to be as rigid as the lower part of 8, the side wall 8 in FIGURE 6or the lower parts of both side walls 8 and 9 may be supported at theouter sides thereof by a pair of separate webs similar to the web 11 asshown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

A secure closure may, however, also be attained if the lower parts ofthe channel walls 8 and 9 underneath the points at which they are to bebent for opening and closing the upper part of the channel are eithertapered upwardly and thus reduced in thickness toward these points orif, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the two channel walls 8 and 9 areinclined to each other so that the cross-sectional size of the channelbetween them decreases toward the ponts at which they are to be bent.

FIGURE 9 illustrates another very practical modification of thepivotable nozzle closure according to the invention. One side wall fothe nozzle 2 which faces in the direction toward which the nozzle is tobe bent is made of a greater thickness than the other side wall 2, andthe lower part of this thicker side wall is provided in its outer sidewith a groove, preferably of an arcuate shape. When the nozzle 2 is bentover in the clockwise direction to its closing position, it will bendeasily at and over the thinnest part which is formed by groove 17. Thispart 25 is supported at both sides by thicker wall portions in whichbracing forces are produced which extend at an angle to each other.

FIGURES 10 and 11 show two side views of a further modification of thenozzle closure according to the invention as seen at right angles toeach other. The closure element is in this case integrally connected tothe container 18 which is filled through its open lower end which isthereafter tightly sealed, for example, by welding. The lower channelpart 3 of nozzle 2 is adapted to be twisted about its axis and the upperpart of nozzle 2 is for this purpose provided with a fiat grip 19 whichprojects toward both sides. The outlet channel extends centrally throughthe entire nozzle from the container opening 4 to 4 the nozzle end. Whenthe grip 19 is turned from the position as shown in FIGURES 1.0 and 11and the channel part 3 is thereby twisted about its axis, the outer wallportions of this channel part are elastically stretched in a similarmanner as when this part is bent as described with reference to FIGURES1 to 8, while the inner wall surfaces of the channel part 3 are firmlypressed against each other so that the channel is tightly closed. Formaintaining the grip 19 in the twisted or closed position, its lowerside is provided with a locking groove 20 which has an inclined slidingsurface 22 and an end or stop surface 21. This locking groove 20 isoperatively associated with a locking projection 23 on the container 18which is likewise provided with an inclined sliding surface 25 and anend or stop surface 24. When the grip 19 is turned to its closedposition, the locking groove 20 fits over the locking projection 23, andthe stop surfaces 21 and 24 then prevent the channel part 3 from beingtwisted excessively and from thus being damaged.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with referenceto the preferred embodiment thereof, I wish to have it understood thatit is no way limited to the details of such embodiments but is capableof numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, What I claim 1. A containerclosure comprising a substantially rigid base having a bore, asubstantially rigid outlet nozzle having a bore, and a tubular memberhaving a smooth inner wall connecting said nozzle to said base, at leasta part of the length of said tubular member being elasticallydeformable, said tubular member enclosing an open channel connectingsaid bores to each other when said tubular member is in a normal,substantially straight, undeformed, position, at least said part of saidtubular member being adapted to be deformed when said nozzle is turnedrelative to said base, whereby at least parts of the smooth inner wallof said tubular member are firmly pressed against each other and thustightly close said channel, locking means for releasably holding saidnozzle at least in its turned position, at least said part of saidtubular member being elastically deformable by having a wall of a lesserthickness than said nozzle, said nozzle comprising a grip projectinglaterally to the opposite sides of said nozzle bore for twisting saidtubular member about its axis, said locking means comprising associatedmeans on said grip and on the upper side of said base adapted tointerengage with each other when said grip is turned so as to twist thetubular member to a position in which said channel is closed.

2. A container closure as defined in claim 1, wherein said associatedlocking means comprise a locking projection on said base, a firstinclined sliding surface on the upper side of said base adjacent to saidlocking projection and substantially at the level of the lower surfaceof said grip, said grip having a locking groove in the lower sidethereof and a second inclined sliding surface in front of said lockinggroove and adapted to slide along said first sliding surface when saidnozzle is turned, and stop surfaces on said locking projection and saidlocking groove adapted to engage with each other for limiting the extentof the twisting movement of said tubular member.

3. A container closure comprising a substantially rigid base having abore, a substantially rigid outlet nozzle having a bore, and a tubularmember having a smooth inner wall connecting said nozzle to said base,at least a part of the length of said tubular member being elasticallydeformable, said tubular member enclosing an open channel connectingsaid bores to each other when said tubular member is in a normal,substantially undeformed open position, at least said part of saidtubular member being adapted to be deformed when said nozzle is turnedrelative to said base for pressing at least parts of the smooth innerwall of said tubular member firmly against each other and thus tightlyclosing said channel, said tubular member having an elongated crosssection and comprising a pair of side walls enclosing said channel whichare connected at both sides to each other so that said channel, in crosssection, is tapered substantially to a point at each side thereof, saidtubular member being adapted to be turned by said nozzle from saidnormal, undeformed position in which it is open to a closed position,and locking means for releasably holding said nozzle at least in itsturned position.

4. A container closure as defined in claim 3, in which said tubularmember, in its undeformed, open position is substantially straight andis adapted to be turned by said nozzle in at least one direction fromits undeformed, open position to its closed position substantially at aright angle thereto about a transverse axis extending substantiallythrough said points to which said pair of side walls, respectively, ofsaid elongated cross section are tapered.

5. A container closure as defined in claim 4, further comprising atleast one bracing web projecting upwardly from said base adjacent to thelower part of at least one of said side walls of said tubular member andserving as an abutment about which the upper part of said tubular membermay be turned about said transverse axis to close said channel.

6. A container closure as defined in claim 4 wherein said tubular memberhas a thinner side wall and, opposite thereto, a thicker side wall atthe side toward which said nozzle is adapted to be turned to said closedposition, said thicker side wall having in its outer side near its lowerend a substantially arcuate groove, said nozzle being adapted to be bentabout said transverse axis at and over the thinnest part of said thickerwall formed by said groove, said thinnest part being supported at bothsides by the adjacent thicker groove parts of said thicker wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,181,743 4/ 1965 Lebit et a1.222530 3,294,293 12/1966 Johns 222528 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,215,061 4/1960 France.

985,031 3/1965 Great Britain.

RGBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

